Search results for: cognitive rehabilitation

Authors: Vorapoj Promasatayaprot, Sumattana Glangkarn

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Background: Early childhood, the first five years of life, is a time of rapid cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional and motor development. This study was descriptive research which the main purpose of this research was to study early childhood development in Child Center of Local Government in order to emphasize the public citizen and communities participate in the Child Development Center. Method: The study designed was Action Research and divided into four steps consisted of (1) Planning (2) Acting (3) Observing and (4) Reflecting. This study was employed the areas and the subjects consisted of 10 committees of the Child Center in Thakhonyang municipality, Kantharawichai District, Maha Sarakham Province, Thailand and 50 representative parents by using the purposive sampling technique. The instrument used in this study were questionnaires. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistic; percentage, mean, standard deviation, maximum value, minimum, median. Qualitative data was collected using the observation and interview and was analysed by content analysis. Results: The results of this research were as follows: The promoting of early childhood development in child center at Thakhonyang Municipality, Kantharawichai District, Maha Sarakham Province, Thailand were 6 procedures ; (1) workshop participation (2) workshop in action plan (3) performing in action plan (4) following supervision (5) self – assessment (6) knowledge sharing seminar. The service model of the Local Fund Health Security in Thailand was passed the qualifications of local fund health security by 6 procedures to be the high potential local fund health security. Conclusion: The key success is that the commission will have to respond the performance at all process of plan to address the issue in the future. Factor of success is to community participate with transparent procedure. Coordination committee should manipulate the child center benefits among stake holders.

Keywords: child center, develop, early childhood development, local government, promote

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Authors: Sandra Baez, Mariana Pino, Mildred Berrio, Hernando Santamaria-Garcia, Lucas Sedeno, Adolfo Garcia, Sol Fittipaldi, Agustin Ibanez

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Schadenfreude refers to the perceiver’s experience of pleasure at another’s misfortune. This is a multidetermined emotion which can be evoked by hostile feelings and envy. The experience of Schadenfreude engages mechanisms implicated in diverse social cognitive processes. For instance, Schadenfreude involves heightened reward processing, accompanied by increased striatal engagement and it interacts with mentalizing and perspective-taking abilities. Patients with Huntington's disease (HD) exhibit reductions of Schadenfreude experience, suggesting a role of striatal degeneration in such an impairment. However, no study has directly assessed the relationship between regional brain atrophy in HD and reduced Schadenfreude. This study investigated whether gray matter (GM) atrophy in HD patients correlates with ratings of Schadenfreude. First, we compared the performance of 20 HD patients and 23 controls on an experimental task designed to trigger Schadenfreude and envy (another social emotion acting as a control condition). Second, we compared GM volume between groups. Third, we examined brain regions where atrophy might be associated with specific impairments in the patients. Results showed that while both groups showed similar ratings of envy, HD patients reported lower Schadenfreude. The latter pattern was related to atrophy in regions of the reward system (ventral striatum) and the mentalizing network (precuneus and superior parietal lobule). Our results shed light on the intertwining of reward and socioemotional processes in Schadenfreude, while offering novel evidence about their neural correlates. In addition, our results open the door to future studies investigating social emotion processing in other clinical populations characterized by striatal or mentalizing network impairments (e.g., Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorders).

Keywords: envy, Gray matter atrophy, Huntigton's disease, Schadenfreude, social emotions

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Authors: Francesca Croce

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Governmental development strategies aimed at entrepreneurship as a major resource for economic development and poverty reduction of indigenous people. As initiatives and programs are local based, there is a need to better understand the contextual factors of indigenous entrepreneurial models. The purpose of this paper is, therefore, to analyze and integrated the indigenous entrepreneurship literature in order to identify the main models of indigenous entrepreneurship. To answer this need, a systematic literature review was conducted. Relevant articles were identified in selected electronic databases (ABI/Inform Global, Business Source Premier, Web of Science; International Bibliography of the Social Sciences, Academic Search, Sociological Abstract, Entrepreneurial Studies Sources and Bibliography of Native North America) and in selected electronic review. Beginning to 1st January 1995 (first International Day of the World’s Indigenous People), 59 academic articles were selected from 1411. Through systematic analysis of the cultural, social and organizational variables, the paper highlights that a typology of indigenous entrepreneurial models is possible thought the concept of entrepreneurial ecosystem, which includes the geographical position and the environment of the indigenous communities. The results show three models of indigenous entrepreneurship: the urban indigenous entrepreneurship, the semi-urban indigenous entrepreneurship, and rural indigenous entrepreneurship. After the introduction, the paper is organized as follows. In the first part theoretical and practical needs of a systematic literature review on indigenous entrepreneurship are provided. In the second part, the methodology, the selection process and evaluation of the articles are explained. In the third part, findings are presented and each indigenous entrepreneurial model characteristics are discussed. The results of this study bring a new theorization about indigenous entrepreneurship and may be useful for scientists in the field in search of overcoming the cognitive border of Indigenous business models still too little known. Also, the study is addressed to policy makers in charge of indigenous entrepreneurial development strategies more focused on contextual factors studies.

Keywords: community development, entrepreneurial ecosystem, indigenous entrepreneurship model, indigenous people, systematic literature review

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Authors: Godwin Bassey Okon

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The need to streamline viewers’ disposition towards the predominant portrayal of rituals, in most Nigerian home videos, as a way of life in the southern part of Nigeria necessitated this study. The focus however was on ascertaining if such portrayals dovetail within the framework of construction of social reality or misconstruction of social reality. In other words, do the people of the southern part of Nigeria engage in rituals as a means of acquiring wealth or do they merely have proclivity for diabolism, as frequently portrayed in home videos subsumed in their socio-cultural settings? The method of study was survey with the questionnaire as the predominant instrument. The questionnaire was used to elicit responses from Portharcourt city residents on their views and reactions in the light of ritual themes in Nigerian home videos. The choice of Portharcourt was informed by the fact that it is a foremost cosmopolitan city in the south. A Sample size of 400 was drawn from a population of 1,382,392 using Taro Yamane’s formula. Actual respondents were reached using a multi-stage cluster sampling technique. The reliability of the instrument as ascertained through Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation stood at 0.89. Findings however revealed that ritual themes, as used in Nigerian home videos, did not significantly reflect the cultural heritage of the people of southern Nigeria. Findings further showed that their excessive use in Nigerian home videos served only to create frills and thrills in plots. A synthesis of the foregoing, however, revealed that viewers are not favourably disposed towards the excessive use of ritual themes since they inadvertently portray the cultural heritage of the people of the south in the negative. To this end, it was recommended that producers of Nigerian home videos should focus more on themes that serve to construct social reality while projecting favorably the rich cultural heritage of the people. In terms of contribution to knowledge, the findings of this study tend to reinforce the notion of film as a conveyor belt in cognitive constructs.

Keywords: disposition, home videos, ritual, social reality, themes

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Authors: Luísa Pedro, José Pais-Ribeiro, João Páscoa Pinheiro

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Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease of the central nervous system that affects more often young adults in the prime of his career and personal development, with no cure and unknown causes. The most common signs and symptoms are fatigue, muscle weakness, changes in sensation, ataxia, changes in balance, gait difficulties, memory difficulties, cognitive impairment and difficulties in problem solving. MS is a relatively common neurological disorder in which various impairments and disabilities impact strongly on function and daily life activities. The aim of this study is to examine the implications of the program of self-regulation in the perception of illness and mental health (psychological well-being domain) in MS patients. MS is a relatively common neurological disorder in which various impairments and disabilities impact strongly on function and daily life activities. The aim of this study is to examine the implications of the program of self-regulation in the perception of illness and mental health (psychological well-being domain) in MS patients. After this, a set of exercises was implemented to be used in daily life activities, according to studies developed with MS patients. We asked the subjects the question “Please classify the severity of your disease?” and used the domain of psychological well-being, the Mental Health Inventory (MHI-38) at the beginning (time A) and end (time B) of the program of self-regulation. We used the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. A non-parametric statistical hypothesis test (Wilcoxon test) was used for the variable analysis. The intervention followed the recommendations of the Helsinki Declaration. The age range of the subjects was between 20 and 58 years with a mean age of 44 years. 58.3 % were women, 37.5 % were currently married, 67% were retired and the mean level of education was 12.5 years. In the correlation between the severity of the disease perception and psychological well before the self-regulation program, an obtained result (r = 0.26, p <0.05), then the self-regulation program, was (r = 0.37, p <0.01), from a low to moderate correlation. We conclude that the program of self-regulation for physical activity in patients with MS can improve the relationship between the perception of disease severity and psychological well-being.

Keywords: psychological well-being, multiple sclerosis, self-regulation, physical activity

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Authors: Chirine Dannaoui, Maya Antoun

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This paper explores the intricate dynamics of play-based early childhood education (ECE) and the impact of professional development on teachers implementing play-based pedagogy, particularly in the context of vulnerable Syrian refugee children in Lebanon. By utilizing qualitative methodologies, including classroom observations and in-depth interviews with five early childhood educators and a field manager, this study delves into the challenges and transformations experienced by teachers in adopting play-based learning strategies. The research unveils the critical role of continuous and context-specific professional development in empowering teachers to implement play-based pedagogies effectively. When appropriately supported, it emphasizes how such educational approaches significantly enhance children's cognitive, social, and emotional development in crisis-affected environments. Key findings indicate that despite diverse educational backgrounds, teachers show considerable growth in their pedagogical skills through targeted professional development. This growth is vital for fostering a learning environment where vulnerable children can thrive, particularly in humanitarian settings. The paper also addresses educators' challenges, including adapting to play-based methodologies, resource limitations, and balancing curricular requirements with the need for holistic child development. This study contributes to the discourse on early childhood education in crisis contexts, emphasizing the need for sustainable, well-structured professional development programs. It underscores the potential of play-based learning to bridge educational gaps and contribute to the healing process of children facing calamity. The study highlights significant implications for policymakers, educators, schools, and not-for-profit organizations engaged in early childhood education in humanitarian contexts, stressing the importance of investing in teacher capacity and curriculum reform to enhance the quality of education for children in general and vulnerable ones in particular.

Keywords: play-based learning, professional development, vulnerable children, early childhood education

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Authors: B. S. Premalatha, Kausalya Sahani

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Background: Glomus jugulare tumors arise within the jugular foramen and are commonly seen in females particularly on the left side. Surgical excision of the tumor may cause lower cranial nerve deficits. Cranial nerve involvement produces hoarseness of voice, slurred speech, and dysphagia along with other physical symptoms, thereby affecting the quality of life of individuals. Though oncological clearance is mainly emphasized on while treating these individuals, little importance is given to their communication, voice and swallowing problems, which play a crucial part in daily functioning. Objective: To examine the functions of voice, speech and swallowing outcomes of the subjects, following excision of glomus jugulare tumor. Methods: Two female subjects aged 56 and 62 years had come with a complaint of change in voice, inability to swallow and reduced clarity of speech following surgery for left glomus jugulare tumor were participants of the study. Their surgical information revealed multiple cranial nerve palsies involving the left facial, left superior and recurrent branches of the vagus nerve, left pharyngeal, left soft palate, left hypoglossal and vestibular nerves. Functional outcomes of voice, speech and swallowing were evaluated by perceptual and objective assessment procedures. Assessment included the examination of oral structures and functions, dysarthria by Frenchey dysarthria assessment, cranial nerve functions and swallowing functions. MDVP and Dr. Speech software were used to evaluate acoustic parameters of voice and quality of voice respectively. Results: The study revealed that both the subjects, subsequent to excision of glomus jugulare tumor, showed a varied picture of affected oral structure and functions, articulation, voice and swallowing functions. The cranial nerve assessment showed impairment of the vagus, hypoglossal, facial and glossopharyngeal nerves. Voice examination indicated vocal cord paralysis associated with breathy quality of voice, weak voluntary cough, reduced pitch and loudness range, and poor respiratory support. Perturbation parameters as jitter, shimmer were affected along with s/z ratio indicative of voice fold pathology. Reduced MPD(Maximum Phonation Duration) of vowels indicated that disturbed coordination between respiratory and laryngeal systems. Hypernasality was found to be a prominent feature which reduced speech intelligibility. Imprecise articulation was seen in both the subjects as the hypoglossal nerve was affected following surgery. Injury to vagus, hypoglossal, gloss pharyngeal and facial nerves disturbed the function of swallowing. All the phases of swallow were affected. Aspiration was observed before and during the swallow, confirming the oropharyngeal dysphagia. All the subsystems were affected as per Frenchey Dysarthria Assessment signifying the diagnosis of flaccid dysarthria. Conclusion: There is an observable communication and swallowing difficulty seen following excision of glomus jugulare tumor. Even with complete resection, extensive rehabilitation may be necessary due to significant lower cranial nerve dysfunction. The finding of the present study stresses the need for involvement of as speech and swallowing therapist for pre-operative counseling and assessment of functional outcomes.

Keywords: functional outcome, glomus jugulare tumor excision, multiple cranial nerve impairment, speech and swallowing

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Authors: Kemal Izci, Ahmet Oguz Akturk

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Learning is dependent on cognitive and physical differences as well as other differences such as ethnicity, language, and culture. Furthermore, these differences also influence how students show their learning. Assessment is an integral part of learning and teaching process and is essential for effective instruction. In order to provide effective instruction, teachers need to provide equal assessment opportunities for all students to see their learning difficulties and use them to modify instruction to aid learning. Successful assessment practices are dependent upon the knowledge and value of teachers. Therefore, in order to use assessment to assess and support diverse students learning, preservice and inservice teachers should hold an appropriate understanding of equitable assessment. In order to prepare teachers to help them support diverse student learning, as a first step, this study aims to explore how preservice teachers’ understand equitable assessment. 105 preservice science teachers studying at teacher preparation program in a large university located at Eastern part of Turkey participated in the current study. A questionnaire, preservice teachers’ reflection papers and interviews served as data sources for this study. All collected data qualitatively analyzed to develop themes that illustrate preservice science teachers’ understanding of equitable assessment. Results of the study showed that preservice teachers mostly emphasized fairness including fairness in grading and fairness in asking questions not out of covered concepts for equitable assessment. However, most of preservice teachers do not show an understanding of equity for providing equal opportunities for all students to display their understanding of related content. For some preservice teachers providing different opportunities (providing extra time for non-native speaking students) for some students seems to be unfair for other students and therefore, these kinds of refinements do not need to be used. The results of the study illustrated that preservice science teachers mostly understand equitable assessment as fairness and less highlight the role of using equitable assessment to support all student learning, which is more important in order to improve students’ achievement of science. Therefore, we recommend that more opportunities should be provided for preservice teachers engage in a more broad understanding of equitable assessment and learn how to use equitable assessment practices to aid and support all students learning trough classroom assessment.

Keywords: science teaching, equitable assessment, assessment literacy, preservice science teachers

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Authors: Majse Lind, Carla Sharp, Salome Vanwoerden

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Narrative identity is the dynamic and evolving story individuals create about their personal pasts, presents, and presumed futures. This storied sense of self develops in adolescence and is crucial for fostering a sense of self-unity and purpose in life. A growing body of work has shown that several characteristics of narrative identity are disturbed in adults suffering from borderline personality disorder (BPD). Very little research, however, has explored the stories told by adolescents with BPD features. Investigating narrative identity early in the lifespan and in relation to personality pathology is crucial; BPD is a developmental disorder with early signs appearing already in adolescence. In the current study, we examine narrative identity (focusing on themes of agency and communion) coded from self-defining memories derived from the child attachment interview in 174 inpatient adolescents (M = 15.12, SD = 1.52) at the time of admission. The adolescents’ social cognition was further assessed on the basis of their reactions to movie scenes (i.e., the MASC movie task). They also completed a trauma checklist and self-reported BPD features at three different time points (i.e., at admission, at discharge, and 6 months after admission). Preliminary results show that adolescents who told stories containing themes of agency and communion evinced better social cognition, and lower emotional abuse on the trauma checklist. In addition, adolescents who disclosed stories containing lower levels of agency and communion demonstrated more BPD symptoms at all three time points, even when controlling for the occurrence of traumatic life events. Surprisingly, social cognitive abilities were not significantly associated with BPD features. These preliminary results underscore the importance of narrative identity as an indicator, and potential cause, of incipient personality pathology. Thus, focusing on diminished themes of narrative-based agency and communion in early adolescence could be crucial in preventing the development of personality pathology over time.

Keywords: borderline personality disorder, inpatient adolescents, narrative identity, follow-ups

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Authors: Nemanja Kidzin, Danka Puric

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Recently, the field of personality change has received an increasing amount of attention. Previously under-researched variables, such as the intention to change or taking on new social roles (in a working environment, education, family, etc.), have been shown to be relevant for personality change. Following this line of research, our study aimed to determine whether the process of acting can bring about personality changes in students of acting and, if yes, in which way. We hypothesized that there will be a significant difference between self-reported personality traits of students acting at the beginning and the end of preparing for a role. Additionally, as potential moderator variables, we measured the reported personality traits of the roles the students were acting, as well as empathy, disintegration, and years of formal education. The sample (N = 47) was composed of students of acting from the Faculty of Dramatic Arts (first- to fourth-year) and the Faculty of Modern Arts (first-year students only). Participants' mean age was 20.2 (SD = 1.47), and there were 64% of females. The procedure included two waves of testing (T1 at the beginning and T2 at the end of the semester), and students’ acting exercises and character immersion comprised the pseudo-experimental procedure. Students’ personality traits (HEXACO-60, self-report version), empathy (Questionnaire of Cognitive and Affective Empathy, QCAE), and disintegration (DELTA9, 10-item version) were measured at both T1 and T2, while the personality of the role (HEXACO-60 observer version) was measured at T2. Responses to all instruments were given on a 5-point Likert scale. A series of repeated-measures T-tests showed significant differences in emotionality (t(46) = 2.56, p = 0.014) and conscientiousness (t(46) = -2.39, p = 0.021) between T1 and T2. Moreover, an index of absolute personality change was significantly different from 0 for all traits (range .53 to .34, t(46) = 4.20, p < .001 for the lowest index. The average test-retest correlation for HEXACO traits was 0.57, which is lower than proposed by other similar researches. As for moderator variables, neither the personality of the role nor empathy or disintegration explained the change in students’ personality traits. The magnitude of personality change was the highest in fourth-year students, with no significant differences between the remaining three years of studying. Overall, our results seem to indicate some personality changes in students of acting. However, these changes cannot be unequivocally related to the process of preparing for a role. Further and methodologically stricter research is needed to unravel the role of acting in personality change.

Keywords: theater, personality change, acting, HEXACO

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Authors: Inigo Sanz-Pena, Shanika Arachchi, Dilani Dhammika, Sanjaya Mallikarachchi, Jeewantha S. Bandula, Alison H. McGregor, Nicolas Newell

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The use of orthotic braces for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients is the most common non-surgical treatment to prevent deformity progression. The traditional method to create an orthotic brace involves casting the patient’s torso to obtain a representative geometry, which is then rectified by an orthotist to the desired geometry of the brace. Recent improvements in 3D scanning technologies, rectification software, CNC, and additive manufacturing processes have given the possibility to compliment, or in some cases, replace manual methods with digital approaches. However, the rectification process remains dependent on the orthotist’s skills. Therefore, the rectification process needs to be carefully characterized to ensure that braces designed through a digital workflow are as efficient as those created using a manual process. The aim of this study is to compare 3D scans of patients with AIS against 3D scans of both pre- and post-rectified casts that have been manually shaped by an orthotist. Six AIS patients were recruited from the Ragama Rehabilitation Clinic, Colombo, Sri Lanka. All patients were between 10 and 15 years old, were skeletally immature (Risser grade 0-3), and had Cobb angles between 20-45°. Seven spherical markers were placed at key anatomical locations on each patient’s torso and on the pre- and post-rectified molds so that distances could be reliably measured. 3D scans were obtained of 1) the patient’s torso and pelvis, 2) the patient’s pre-rectification plaster mold, and 3) the patient’s post-rectification plaster mold using a Structure Sensor Mark II 3D scanner (Occipital Inc., USA). 3D stick body models were created for each scan to represent the distances between anatomical landmarks. The 3D stick models were used to analyze the changes in position and orientation of the anatomical landmarks between scans using Blender open-source software. 3D Surface deviation maps represented volume differences between the scans using CloudCompare open-source software. The 3D stick body models showed changes in the position and orientation of thorax anatomical landmarks between the patient and the post-rectification scans for all patients. Anatomical landmark position and volume differences were seen between 3D scans of the patient’s torsos and the pre-rectified molds. Between the pre- and post-rectified molds, material removal was consistently seen on the anterior side of the thorax and the lateral areas below the ribcage. Volume differences were seen in areas where the orthotist planned to place pressure pads (usually at the trochanter on the side to which the lumbar curve was tilted (trochanter pad), at the lumbar apical vertebra (lumbar pad), on the rib connected to the apical vertebrae at the mid-axillary line (thoracic pad), and on the ribs corresponding to the upper thoracic vertebra (axillary extension pad)). The rectification process requires the skill and experience of an orthotist; however, this study demonstrates that the brace shape, location, and volume of material removed from the pre-rectification mold can be characterized and quantified. Results from this study can be fed into software that can accelerate the brace design process and make steps towards the automated digital rectification process.

Keywords: additive manufacturing, orthotics, scoliosis brace design, sculpting software, spinal deformity

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Authors: Francine Siy, Stephen Buñi

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Safety plays a significant role in everyone’s life on a day-to-day basis. We wish ourselves and our loved ones their safety as we all venture out on our daily commute. The road is undeniably dangerous and unpredictable, with abundant traffic collisions and pedestrians experiencing various injuries. For bicycle users, the risk of accidents is even more exacerbated, and injuries may be severe. Even when cyclists try their best to be safe and protected, the possibility of encountering danger is always there. Despite being equipped with protective gear, safety is never guaranteed. Cyclists often settle for helmets and standard reflector vests to establish a presence on the road. There are different types of vests available, depending on the profession. However, traditional reflector vests, mostly seen on construction workers and traffic enforcers, were not designed for riders and their protection from injuries. With insufficient protection for riders, they need access to ergonomically designed equipment and accessories that suit the riders and cater to their needs. This research aimed to offer a protective vest with safety features for riders that is comfortable, effective, durable, and intuitive. This sheds light and addresses the safety of the biker population, which continuously grows through the years. The product was designed and developed by gathering data and using the cognitive mapping method to ensure that all qualitative and quantitative data were considered in this study to improve other existing products that do not have the proper design considerations. It is known that available equipment for cyclists is often sold separately or lacks the safety features for cyclists traversing open roads. Each safety feature like the headlights, reflectors, signal or rear lights, zipper pouch, body camera attachment, and wireless remote control all play a particular role in helping cyclists embark on their daily commute. These features aid in illumination, visibility, easy maneuvering, convenience, and security, allowing cyclists to go for a safer ride that is of use throughout the day. The product is designed and produced effectively and inexpensively without sacrificing the quality and purpose of its usage.

Keywords: bicycle accessory, protective gear, safety, transport, visibility

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Authors: Paulina Pergoł, Paulina Pergoł, Tomasz Kryczka

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Aging of societies is a phenomenon that is visible all over the world. The above has social, economic, and medical consequences. Many methods of pro-health stimulation of the elderly, improving cognitive functions and quality of life, are described in the world literature. The most frequently used method of activating the elderly is physical activity, in which, in addition to standard exercise programs, activities such as dance, tai chi, and yoga are often introduced. The introduction of physical activity may be limited due to the disability that often accompanies people aged 65+. Other activating methods mentioned in the literature are therapies with the participation of animals - animal therapy or plant therapy - hortitherapy, as well as music therapy, which is increasingly popular. All of the above-mentioned therapeutic methods require the involvement of a person who would conduct the so-called occupational therapist, which can be a financial barrier for many nursing homes. Researchers all over the world are trying to find solutions that can be applied in any care institution, even in those where financial support for running such centers is small. One of the forms of therapy that is recommended in the group of elderly people and which does not require large financial outlays is the so-called reminiscence therapy based on recalling personal experiences and experiences. Thanks to reminiscence therapy, seniors can return to happy moments in their lives. Research shows that reminiscence therapy increases self-esteem and reduces symptoms of depression. The method of activating older people with the use of correspondence can be an effective and low-cost form of therapy, as shown by the pilot study conducted in 2019 as part of the Queen Silvia Nursing Award competition, consisting in a systematic exchange of correspondence between volunteers and residents of the Nursing Home. This study was conducted with the participation of a small group of participants, therefore, in order to identify and prove the beneficial effect of this form of activation, it should be carried out on a larger group of respondents using standardized scales assessing various psychological parameters.

Keywords: nursing, elderly care, psychiatry, psychology

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Authors: Mohammed Amin, Debra Kerr, Yacoba Atiase, Andrea Driscoll

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Background: Physical activity (PA) is a major component of diabetes self-care management; although this is often stressed to patients, many adults with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM)lead sedentary lifestyles, and barriers exist for uptake of PA. Aim: To explore opinions of healthcare professionals about barriers to PA for adults with T2DM in Ghana. Methods: This qualitative descriptive study included 13healthcare professionals (3 Physiotherapists, 3 exercise physiologists, 3 nurses, and 4 physicians) who provide care to individuals with T2DM in Ghana. Data was collected by semi-structured interviews. The social cognitive theory guided the design of the interview schedule. Data was analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Four main themeswere identified: 1) Individual-related factors, 2) Interpersonal factors, 3) Environment-related factors, and 4) Health system-related factors. Fear of injury, existing co-morbidities, and lack of time make it difficult for people with T2DM to engage in PA. Lack of family support, fear of social ridicule, and cultural beliefs prevent uptake of PA. Poorly designed community spaces, including safe walkways and lack of exercise facilities, inhibit PA participation. Few physical therapists and physical therapy centres exist to support PA participation among people with T2DM. Some nurses and doctors lack adequate knowledge to deliver proper PA education to clients, thereby making clients lack the needed support. Conclusion: Adults with T2DM may be restricted from partaking in PA arising from personal and external factors. This study has identified that barriers to exercise need consideration when designing PA programs that aim to improve health outcomes for people with T2DM in Ghana.

Keywords: type 2 diabetes, physical activity, exercise, ghana, qualitative, barriers

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Authors: P. P. L. Kwan, D. K. S. Chan

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Organizations are constantly changing in today’s business environment. Research findings have revealed that overcoming resistance and getting employees ready for change is a crucial driver for organizational change success. Thus, change adaptability has become a more prominent selection criterion used in many organizations. Although change readiness could be situation-specific, employees’ personality, emotion, and cognition should also be crucial factors in shaping their readiness. However, relatively little research has focused on the roles of individual characteristics in organizational changes. The present study examines the relations between individual characteristics and change readiness with the aim to validate a model, which proposes three types of individual attributes as antecedents to change readiness. The three attributes considered are trait cynicism, positive affectivity, and personal valence covering personality, emotional, and cognitive aspects respectively. The model also hypothesizes that relations between the three antecedents and change readiness will be moderated by a positive mental resource known as psychological capital (PsyCap), which consists of hope, optimism, efficacy and resilience; and a learning culture within the organization. We are currently collecting data from a targeted sample size of 300 Hong Kong employees. Specifically, participants complete a questionnaire which was designed to measure their perceived change efficacy in response to three scenarios commonly happened in the workplace (i.e., business acquisition, team restructuring, and information system change) as a measure of change readiness, as well as the aforementioned individual characteristics. Preliminary analysis provides some support to the hypotheses. That is, employees who are less cynical in personality and more positive in their cognition and affectivity particularly welcome the potential changes in their organizations. Further data collection and analyses are continuously carried out for a more definitive conclusion. Our findings will shed light on employee selection; and on how strengthening positive psychological resources and promoting the culture of learning organization among employees may enhance the chance to succeed for organizations undergoing change.

Keywords: learning organization, psychological capital, readiness for change, employee selection

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Authors: Vivian Polak, Lena Verdeli, Wendy Lou, Caroline Lovett

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Postnatal depression (PND) is a common complication of childbirth that increases the risk of future depressive episodes in women, postpartum depression in partners, as well as social, emotional, behavioural, language, and cognitive problems in offspring. Although psychotherapy, and in particular Group Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT-G), has been proven effective in treating PND, it remains largely inaccessible. However, research has indicated that online synchronous group therapy can be equally as effective as in-person therapy and is a more affordable and accessible modality of treatment. This study aimed to ascertain whether delivering IPT-G virtually when compared to treatment as usual, could more effectively reduce depressive and anxiety symptoms, enhance mother-infant attachment, improve the couple relationship, augment social support, improve overall functioning, and enhance the quality of life for women in rural and northern Ontario who are suffering from PND. By bridging the gap in access to mental health services during the postpartum period, this study seeks to improve the well-being of mothers and their families in rural and northern Ontario, Canada. A randomized controlled trial was conducted to determine whether virtual IPT-G plus treatment as usual would be more effective than treatment as usual alone in treating women with PND in Ontario, Canada. Preliminary results indicate that women who received virtual IPT-G had a clinically and statistically significant decrease in overall depressive symptoms compared to their counterparts who received only the treatment as usual. As such, providing online synchronous IPT-G in the perinatal period not only has the potential to improve women's outcomes in the present but also to decrease future health costs, reduce the burden on the educational and justice systems, and decrease the number of disability life years lost to postnatal depression.

Keywords: family wellbeing, group psychotherapy, interpersonal psychotherapy, postnatal depression, virtual psychotherapy

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Authors: Joanna Peksa, Faith Dillon-Lee

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Current developments in the Western economies have turned some universities into corporate institutions driven by practices of production and commodity. Academia is increasingly becoming integrated into national economies as a result of students paying fees and is consequently using business practices in student retention and engagement. With these changes, pedagogy status as a priority within the institution has been changing in light of these new demands. New strategies have blurred the boundaries that separate a student from a client. This led to a change of the dynamic, disrupting the traditional idea of the knowledge market, and emphasizing the corporate aspect of universities. In some cases, where students are seen primarily as a customer, the purpose of academia is no longer to educate but sell a commodity and retain fee-paying students. This paper considers opposing viewpoints on the commodification of higher education, reflecting on the reality of maintaining a pedagogic grounding in an increasingly commercialized sector. By analysing a case study of the Student Success Festival, an event that involved academic and marketing teams, the differences are considered between the respective visions of the pedagogic arm of the university and the corporate. This study argues that the initial concept of the event, based on the principles of gamification, independent learning, and cognitive criticality, was more clearly linked to a grounded pedagogic approach. However, when liaising with the marketing team in a crucial step in the creative process, it became apparent that these principles were not considered a priority in terms of their remit. While the study acknowledges in the power of pedagogy, the findings show that a pact of concord is necessary between different stakeholders in order for students to benefit fully from their learning experience. Nevertheless, while issues of power prevail and whenever power is unevenly distributed, reaching a consensus becomes increasingly challenging and further research should closely monitor the developments in pedagogy in the UK higher education.

Keywords: economic pressure, commodification, pedagogy, gamification, public service, marketization

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Authors: Saima Haq

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This paper presents the contribution of the Sunflowers Vocational Center, Karachi, Pakistan, by providing a platform for the students of special needs to work with recycled materials and express themselves in a more extravagant form. The concept was to create products that would generate enough income to sustain the program while keeping the students cognitively engaged through arts and crafts and tactile instructions due to their severe intellectual disabilities. Papier-mâché is an art form that is hands-on, repetitive, economical as well as beneficial for the environment. The process of tearing paper into long strips then covering them with paste and laying the strips atop the mold provides constant sensory input for our autistic students as well as the rest of our student population. Given the marginalized stance the society has on special needs, we have marketed the paper-mâché products on social media platforms and have set up booths in carnivals, festivities, open markets that are aimed towards a cause to sell. Our students in the vocational center have also made bins, baskets, and trays that are used in all classrooms. This has cut our costs on classroom materials considerably and has added a sense of accomplishment and furthered the teamwork skills in our sunflowers. The other achievement is our long clientele; orders have been placed from several persons for birthdays, parties, events, and the like. This exposure has raised awareness of the capabilities of persons of special needs and has started a conversation on the topic. And additional achievement is that we have made our teachers, their families, our students, and their families conscientious of the environment and incorporated reusing newspapers into classrooms. Situations where plastic would be bought, for example, bin, dustbins, containers, basket, trays, the paper-mâché products made by our students have been used instead. Due to the low cost of materials, this project is easily replicable and very easy to start. Piñatas are a very popular item for children’s parties everywhere and are gaining popularity through social media. This is also easily replicable in any environment and can have a great impact on the use of plastic in any work or home environment.

Keywords: vocational training, special needs, cognitive skills, teamwork

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Authors: Annika Kjallman Alm, Ove Hellzen, Malin Rising-Homlstrom

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The concept of dementia‐friendly communities focuses on the lived experience of people who have dementia and is most relevant to addressing their needs and the needs of those people who live with and provide support for them. The goal of communities becoming dementia‐friendly is for dementia to be normalized and recognized as a disabling condition. People with dementia find being connected to self, to others, and to the environment by meaningful activities as important. According to the concept underlying dementia-friendly communities, people with dementia or cognitive decline can continue to live in the community if their residential community has sufficiently strong social capital. The aim of this study is to explore staff and leaders’ experiences in implementing interventions to enhance a more inclusive dementia-friendly community. A municipality in northern Sweden with a population of approx. 100 000 inhabitants decided to create a dementia friendly municipality. As part of the initiative, a Centre for support was established. The Centre offered support for both individuals and groups, did home visits, and provided information about Dementia. Interviews were conducted with staff who had undergone training in a structured form of multidimensional support, the PER-model®, and worked at the Centre for support. The staff consisted of registered nurses, occupational therapists, and specialized nurses who had worked there for more than five years, and all had training in dementia. All interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. The transcribed data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results suggest that implementing the PER-model® of support for persons in the early stages of dementia and their next of kin added a much-needed form of support and perceived possibilities to enhance daily life in the early stages of dementia. The staff appreciated that the structure of PER-model® was evidenced based. They also realized that they never even considered that the person with dementia also needed support in the early stages but that they now had tools for that as well. Creating a dementia friendly municipality offering different kinds of support for all stages of dementia is a challenge. However, evidence-based tools and a broad spectrum of different types of support, whether individual or group, are needed to tailor to everyone’s needs. A conviction that all citizens are equal and should all be involved in the community is a strong motivator.

Keywords: dementia, dementia-friendly, municipality, support

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Authors: Hoorieh Darvishi, Rezaei

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Introduction: This study investigates the efficacy of computer-based interventions for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder , specifically targeting communication deficits and repetitive behaviors. The research evaluates novel software applications designed to enhance narrative capabilities and sensory integration through structured, progressive intervention protocols Method: The study evaluated two intervention software programs designed for children with autism, focusing on narrative speech and sensory integration. Twelve children aged 5-11 participated in the two-month intervention, attending three 45-minute weekly sessions, with pre- and post-tests measuring speech, communication, and behavioral outcomes. The narrative speech software incorporated 14 stories using the Cohen model. It progressively reduced software assistance as children improved their storytelling abilities, ultimately enabling independent narration. The process involved story comprehension questions and guided story completion exercises. The sensory integration software featured approximately 100 exercises progressing from basic classification to complex cognitive tasks. The program included attention exercises, auditory memory training (advancing from single to four-syllable words), problem-solving, decision-making, reasoning, working memory, and emotion recognition activities. Each module was accompanied by frequency and pitch-adjusted music that child enjoys it to enhance learning through multiple sensory channels (visual, auditory, and tactile). Conclusion: The results indicated that the use of these software programs significantly improved communication and narrative speech scores in children, while also reducing scores related to repetitive behaviors. Findings: These findings highlight the positive impact of computer-based interventions on enhancing communication skills and reducing repetitive behaviors in children with autism.

Keywords: autism, communication_skills, repetitive_behaviors, sensory_integration

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Authors: Hoorieh Darvishi, Rezaei

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Introduction: This study investigates the efficacy of computer-based interventions for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder , specifically targeting communication deficits and repetitive behaviors. The research evaluates novel software applications designed to enhance narrative capabilities and sensory integration through structured, progressive intervention protocols Method: The study evaluated two intervention software programs designed for children with autism, focusing on narrative speech and sensory integration. Twelve children aged 5-11 participated in the two-month intervention, attending three 45-minute weekly sessions, with pre- and post-tests measuring speech, communication, and behavioral outcomes. The narrative speech software incorporated 14 stories using the Cohen model. It progressively reduced software assistance as children improved their storytelling abilities, ultimately enabling independent narration. The process involved story comprehension questions and guided story completion exercises. The sensory integration software featured approximately 100 exercises progressing from basic classification to complex cognitive tasks. The program included attention exercises, auditory memory training (advancing from single to four-syllable words), problem-solving, decision-making, reasoning, working memory, and emotion recognition activities. Each module was accompanied by frequency and pitch-adjusted music that child enjoys it to enhance learning through multiple sensory channels (visual, auditory, and tactile). Conclusion: The results indicated that the use of these software programs significantly improved communication and narrative speech scores in children, while also reducing scores related to repetitive behaviors. Findings: These findings highlight the positive impact of computer-based interventions on enhancing communication skills and reducing repetitive behaviors in children with autism.

Keywords: autism, narrative speech, persian, SI, repetitive behaviors, communication

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Authors: Wang Huiwen

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Since its release, Toni Morrison's novel Beloved has garnered significant international recognition, and its adaptation of a historical account has profoundly affected readers and scholars, evoking a visceral understanding of the suffering endured by black slaves. The ecofeminist approach has garnered more attention in recent times. The emergence of ecofeminism may be attributed to the feminist movement, which has subsequently evolved into several branches, including cultural ecofeminism, social ecofeminism, and socialist ecofeminism, each of which is developing its own specific characteristics. The many branches hold differing perspectives, yet they all converge on a key principle: the interconnectedness between the subjugation of women and the exploitation of nature can be traced back to a common underlying cognitive framework. Scholarly investigations into the novel Beloved have primarily centered on the cultural interpretations around the emancipation of African American women, with a predominant lens rooted in cultural ecofeminism. This thesis aims to analyze Morrison's feminist beliefs in the novel Beloved by integrating socialist and cultural ecofeminist perspectives, which seeks to challenge the limitations of essentialism within ecofeminism while also proposing a strategy to address exploitation and dismantle oppressive structures depicted in Beloved. This thesis examines the white patriarchal oppression system underlying the relationships between men and women, blacks and whites, and man and nature as shown in the novel. What the black women have been deprived of compared with the black men, white women and white men is a main clue of this research, while nature is a key complement of each chapter for their loss. The attainment of spiritual redemption and ultimate freedom is contingent upon the social revolution that enables bodily emancipation, both of which are indispensable for black women. The weighty historical pains, traumatic recollections, and compromised sense of self prompted African slaves to embark on a quest for personal redemption. The restoration of the bond between black men and women, as well as the relationship between black individuals and nature, is a clear and undeniable pathway towards the final freedom of black women in the novel Beloved.

Keywords: beloved, ecofeminism, black women, nature, essentialism

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Authors: Genziana Lay

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A wide majority of older children and adolescents who enter the juvenile court system present with an array of problematic symptoms and behaviors including anxiety, depression, aggressive acting out, detachment, and substance abuse. Attachment theory offers a framework for understanding normative and pathological functioning, which during development is influenced by emotional, social and cognitive elements. There is clear evidence that children and adolescents with the highest risk of developing adaptation problems present an insecure attachment profile. Most offending minors have experienced dysfunctional family relationships as well as social and/or economic deprivation. Their maladaptive attachment develops not only through their relationship with caregivers but with the environment at large. Activation of their faulty attachment system leads them to feel emotionally overwhelmed and engage in destructive behaviors and decision-making. A psycho-social intervention with this population conceptualized as attachment therapy is a multi-faceted, practical approach that has shown excellent results in terms of increased psychological well-being and drastically reduced rates of re-offense/ destructive behavior. Through several; components including psychotherapy, monitoring, volunteering, meditation and socialization, the program focuses on seven dimensions: self-efficacy, responsibility, empathy/reparation, autonomy/security, containment/structure, insight building, and relational health. This paper presents the program and illustrates how the framework of attachment theory practically applied to psycho-social intervention has great therapeutic and social reparation potential. Preliminary evidence drawn from the Sassari Juvenile Court is very promising; this paper will illustrate these results and propose an even more comprehensive, applicable approach to psycho-social reparative intervention that leads to greater psychological health and reduced recidivism in the child and adolescent population.

Keywords: attachment, child, adolescent, crime, juvenile, psychosocial

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Authors: Hiroshi Kinoshita, Yasuto Nakanishi, Ryuhei Okuno, Toshio Higashi

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Various kinds of pegboards have been developed and used widely in research and clinics of rehabilitation for evaluation and training of patient’s hand function. A common measure in these peg boards is a total time of performance execution assessed by a tester’s stopwatch. Introduction of electrical and automatic measurement technology to the apparatus, on the other hand, has been delayed. The present work introduces the development of a pegboard with an electric sensor to detect moments of individual peg’s insertion and removal. The work also gives fundamental data obtained from a group of healthy young individuals who performed peg transfer tasks using the pegboard developed. Through trails and errors in pilot tests, two 10-hole peg-board boxes installed with a small photo-reflector and a DC amplifier at the bottom of each hole were designed and built by the present authors. The amplified electric analogue signals from the 20 reflectors were automatically digitized at 500 Hz per channel, and stored in a PC. The boxes were set on a test table at different distances (25, 50, 75, and 125 mm) in parallel to examine the effect of hole-to-hole distance. Fifty healthy young volunteers (25 in each gender) as subjects of the study performed successive fast 80 time peg transfers at each distance using their dominant and non-dominant hands. The data gathered showed a clear-cut light interruption/continuation moment by the pegs, allowing accurately (no tester’s error involved) and precisely (an order of milliseconds) to determine the pull out and insertion times of each peg. This further permitted computation of individual peg movement duration (PMD: from peg-lift-off to insertion) apart from hand reaching duration (HRD: from peg insertion to lift-off). An accidental drop of a peg led to an exceptionally long ( < mean + 3 SD) PMD, which was readily detected from an examination of data distribution. The PMD data were commonly right-skewed, suggesting that the median can be a better estimate of individual PMD than the mean. Repeated measures ANOVA using the median values revealed significant hole-to-hole distance, and hand dominance effects, suggesting that these need to be fixed in the accurate evaluation of PMD. The gender effect was non-significant. Performance consistency was also evaluated by the use of quartile variation coefficient values, which revealed no gender, hole-to-hole, and hand dominance effects. The measurement reliability was further examined using interclass correlation obtained from 14 subjects who performed the 25 and 125 mm hole distance tasks at two 7-10 days separate test sessions. Inter-class correlation values between the two tests showed fair reliability for PMD (0.65-0.75), and for HRD (0.77-0.94). We concluded that a sensor peg board developed in the present study could provide accurate (excluding tester’s errors), and precise (at a millisecond rate) time information of peg movement separated from that used for hand movement. It could also easily detect and automatically exclude erroneous execution data from his/her standard data. These would lead to a better evaluation of hand dexterity function compared to the widely used conventional used peg boards.

Keywords: hand, dexterity test, peg movement time, performance consistency

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Authors: Shlomit Hon-Snir, Shosh Shahrabai, Sharon Teitler Regev, Anabel Friedlander-Lifszyc

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Today, online travel sites account for a large share of the orders for tourism services, leading to the expectation that many traditional travel agencies will become redundant in the future. Technological changes are offering customers a wider variety and better prices, and the improved competition in the industry has increased customer well-being significantly. Therefore, the question is whether all customers can enjoy this change, specifically whether different groups in the Israeli population enjoy the changes similarly. The purpose of this study is to identify the factors that affect the collection of data and the purchase of tourism products online and in particular to identify the barriers and limitations of technology usage among the population. The results of the current research are of great importance both economically and socially. The theory of Reasoned Action assumes that actual behavior is based on intention. Volitional behavior is predicted by individuals' attitudes to that behavior and by the way they think other people will look at them. Two cognitive variables regarding the use of technology are: perceived usefulness and perceived ease-of-use. Moreover, early adopters of innovations have different characteristics than people that adopt an innovation at a later stage. In the study, we analyze four groups of factors: Customer characteristics, internet usage, technology acceptance and product characteristics. Some of the parameters are gender, age, income level, frequency and type of internet use, proficiency in English, traveler type, number of trips abroad, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, perceived risk, perceived trust and product type. We investigate online purchasing and online information search separately. Data will be collected using an online questionnaire distributed among a representative sample of 600 citizens in Israel. Some of the research questions will be based on previous research studies (that underwent reliability and validity testing). Those questions will be translated into Hebrew and adjusted for the tested population.

Keywords: customer characteristics, online travel sites, technology acceptance, tourism

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Authors: Dana Page, Erica McClure, Kate Snider, Jenni Pollard, Tim Landrum, Jeff Valentine

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Extensive research has been conducted on students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) and their rates of challenging behavior. In the past, however, less attention has been given to their academic achievement and outcomes. Recent research examining outcomes for students with EBD has indicated that these students receive lower grades, are less likely to pass classes, and experience higher rates of school dropout than students without disabilities and students with other high incidence disabilities. Given that between 2% and 20% of the school-age population is likely to have EBD (though many may not be identified as such), this is no small problem. Despite the need for increased examination of this population’s academic achievement, research on the actual performance of students with EBD has been minimal. This study reports the results of a meta-analysis of the limited research examining academic achievement of students with EBD, including effect sizes of assessment scores and discussion of moderators potentially impacting academic outcomes. Researchers conducted a thorough literature search to identify potentially relevant documents before screening studies for inclusion in the systematic review. Screening identified 35 studies that reported results of academic assessment scores for students with EBD. These studies were then coded to extract descriptive data across multiple domains, including placement of students, participant demographics, and academic assessment scores. Results indicated possible collinearity between EBD disability status and lower academic assessment scores, despite a lack of association between EBD eligibility and lower cognitive ability. Quantitative analysis of assessment results yielded effect sizes for academic achievement of student participants, indicating lower performance levels and potential moderators (e.g., race, socioeconomic status, and gender) impacting student academic performance. In addition to discussing results of the meta-analysis, implications and areas for future research, policy, and practice are discussed.

Keywords: students with emotional behavioral disorders, academic achievement, systematic review, meta-analysis

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Authors: Mahdi Taheri Asl

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Using a variety of strategies to read text plays an important role to make students strategic independent, strategic, and metacognitive readers. Given the importance of comprehension instruction (CI), it is essential to support the fostering comprehension skills at elementary age students, particularly those who struggle with or dislike reading. One of the main components of CI is activating metacognitive skills, which double function of elementary students. Thus, it’s important to evaluate the implemented comprehension interventions to inform reading specialist and teachers. There has been limited review research in the area of CI, so the conduction review research is required. The purpose of this review is to examine the effectiveness of metacognitive reading strategies in a regular classroom environment with elementary aged students. We develop five inclusion criteria to identify researches relevant to our research. First, the article had to be published in a peer-reviewed journal from 2000 to 2023. second, the study had to include participants in elementary school it could include of special education students. Third, the intervention needed to be involved with metacognitive strategies. Fourth, the articles had to use experimental or quasi experimental design. The last one needed to include measurement of reading performance in pre and post intervention. We used computer data-based site like Eric, PsychoINFO, and google scholar to search for articles that met these criteria. we used the following search terms: comprehension instruction, meta cognitive strategies, and elementary school. The next step was to do an ancestral search that get in reviewing the relevant studies cited in the articles that were found in the database search. We identified 30studies in the initial searches. After coding agreement, we synthesized 13 with respect to the participant, setting, research design, dependent variables, measures, the intervention used by instructors, and general outcomes. The finding show metacognitive strategies were effective to empower student’s comprehension skills. It also showed that linguistic instruction will be effective if got mixed with metacognitive strategies. The research provides a useful view into reading intervention. Despite the positive effect of metacognitive instruction on students’ comprehension skills, it is not widely used in classroom.

Keywords: comprehension instruction, metacogntion, metacognitive skills, reading intervention

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Authors: Margarita Gáfaro, Karelys Guzmán, Paola Poveda

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This paper establishes the theoretical aspects that explain the barriers to accessing credit for small agricultural producers in developing countries and identifies successful policy experiences to mitigate them. We will test two hypotheses. The first one is that information asymmetries, high transaction costs and high-risk exposure limit the supply of credit to small agricultural producers in developing countries. The second hypothesis is that low levels of financial education and productivity and high uncertainty about the returns of agricultural activity limit the demand for credit. To test these hypotheses, a review of the theoretical and empirical literature on access to rural credit in developing countries will be carried out. The first part of this review focuses on theoretical models that incorporate information asymmetries in the credit market and analyzes the interaction between these asymmetries and the characteristics of the agricultural sector in developing countries. Some of the characteristics we will focus on are the absence of collateral, the underdevelopment of the judicial systems and insurance markets, and the high dependence on climatic factors of production technologies. The second part of this review focuses on the determinants of credit demand by small agricultural producers, including the profitability of productive projects, security conditions, risk aversion or loss, financial education, and cognitive biases, among others. There are policies that focus on resolving these supply and demand constraints and managing to improve credit access. Therefore, another objective of this paper is to present a review of effective policies that have promoted access to credit for smallholders in the world. For this, information available in policy documents will be collected. This information will be complemented by interviews with officials in charge of the design and execution of these policies in a subset of selected countries. The information collected will be analyzed in light of the conceptual framework proposed in the first two parts of this section. The barriers to access to credit that each policy attempts to resolve and the factors that could explain its effectiveness will be identified.

Keywords: agricultural economics, credit access, smallholder, developing countries

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Authors: Fadi Al Khatib, Raouf Mbarki, Malek Adouni

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In various sport and recreational activities, the patellofemoral joint undergoes large forces and moments while accommodating the significant knee joint movement. In doing so, this joint is commonly the source of anterior knee pain related to instability in normal patellar tracking and excessive pressure syndrome. One well-observed explanation of the instability of the normal patellar tracking is the patellofemoral ligaments and patellar tendon damage. Improved knowledge of the damage mechanism mediating ligaments and tendon injuries can be a great help not only in rehabilitation and prevention procedures but also in the design of better reconstruction systems in the management of knee joint disorders. This damage mechanism, specifically due to excessive mechanical loading, has been linked to the micro level of the fibred structure precisely to the tropocollagen molecules and their connection density. We argue defining a clear frame starting from the bottom (micro level) to up (macro level) in the hierarchies of the soft tissue may elucidate the essential underpinning on the state of the ligaments damage. To do so, in this study a multiscale fibril reinforced hyper elastoplastic Finite Element model that accounts for the synergy between molecular and continuum syntheses was developed to determine the short-term stresses/strains patellofemoral ligaments and tendon response. The plasticity of the proposed model is associated only with the uniaxial deformation of the collagen fibril. The yield strength of the fibril is a function of the cross-link density between tropocollagen molecules, defined here by a density function. This function obtained through a Coarse-graining procedure linking nanoscale collagen features and the tissue level materials properties using molecular dynamics simulations. The hierarchies of the soft tissues were implemented using the rule of mixtures. Thereafter, the model was calibrated using a statistical calibration procedure. The model then implemented into a real structure of patellofemoral ligaments and patellar tendon (OpenKnee) and simulated under realistic loading conditions. With the calibrated material parameters the calculated axial stress lies well with the experimental measurement with a coefficient of determination (R2) equal to 0.91 and 0.92 for the patellofemoral ligaments and the patellar tendon respectively. The ‘best’ prediction of the yielding strength and strain as compared with the reported experimental data yielded when the cross-link density between the tropocollagen molecule of the fibril equal to 5.5 ± 0.5 (patellofemoral ligaments) and 12 (patellar tendon). Damage initiation of the patellofemoral ligaments was located at the femoral insertions while the damage of the patellar tendon happened in the middle of the structure. These predicted finding showed a meaningful correlation between the cross-link density of the tropocollagen molecules and the stiffness of the connective tissues of the extensor mechanism. Also, damage initiation and propagation were documented with this model, which were in satisfactory agreement with earlier observation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt to model ligaments from the bottom up, predicted depending to the tropocollagen cross-link density. This approach appears more meaningful towards a realistic simulation of a damaging process or repair attempt compared with certain published studies.

Keywords: tropocollagen, multiscale model, fibrils, knee ligaments

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Authors: Kuo Chieh Chao, Thishani Amarathunga, Sangam Shrestha

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Rainfall induced slope failures are one of the most damaging and disastrous natural hazards which occur frequently in the world. This type of sliding mainly occurs in the zone above the groundwater level in silty/sandy soils. When the rainwater begins to infiltrate into the vadose zone of the soil, the negative pore-water pressure tends to decrease and reduce the shear strength of soil material. Climate change has resulted in excessive and unpredictable rainfall in all around the world, resulting in landslides with dire consequences to human lives and infrastructure. Such problems could be overcome by examining in detail the causes for such slope failures and recommending effective repair plans for vulnerable locations by considering future climatic change. The selected area for this study is located in the road rehabilitation section from Maubara to Mota Ain road in Timor-Leste. Slope failures and cracks have occurred in 2013 and after repairs reoccurred again in 2017 subsequent to heavy rains. Both observed and future predicted climate data analyses were conducted to understand the severe precipitation conditions in past and future. Observed climate data were collected from NOAA global climate data portal. CORDEX data portal was used to collect Regional Climate Model (RCM) future predicted climate data. Both observed and RCM data were extracted to location-based data using ArcGIS Software. Linear scaling method was used for the bias correction of future data and bias corrected climate data were assigned to GeoStudio Software. Precipitations of wet seasons (December to March ) in 2007 to 2013 is higher than 2001-2006 period and it is more than nearly 40% higher precipitation than usual monthly average precipitation of 160mm.The results of seepage analyses which were carried out using SEEP/W model with observed climate, clearly demonstrated that the pore water pressure within the fill slope was significantly increased due to the increase of the infiltration during the wet season of 2013.One main Regional Climate Models (RCM) was analyzed in order to predict future climate variation under two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs).In the projected period of 76 years ahead from 2014, shows that the amount of precipitation is considerably getting higher in the future in both RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 emission scenarios. Critical pore water pressure conditions during 2014-2090 were used in order to recommend appropriate remediation methods. Results of slope stability analyses indicated that the factor of safety of the fill slopes was reduced from 1.226 to 0.793 during the dry season to wet season in 2013.Results of future slope stability which were obtained using SLOPE/W model for the RCP emissions scenarios depict that, the use of tieback anchors and geogrids in slope protection could be effective in increasing the stability of slopes to an acceptable level during the wet seasons. Moreover, methods and procedures like monitoring of slopes showing signs or susceptible for movement and installing surface protections could be used to increase the stability of slopes.

Keywords: climate change, precipitation, SEEP/W, SLOPE/W, unsaturated soil

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